The Welsh Government is failing to deliver on marine and coastal responsibilities and urgent action is required, a cross-party group of AMs will warn todayMON.

The Welsh Government is failing to deliver on marine and coastal responsibilities and urgent action is required, a cross-party group of AMs will warn today.

The Assembly’s environment and sustainability committee is concerned that four years after responsibilities were transferred to the Welsh Government at its request its policy commitments and statutory duties are at risk.

The AMs warn in their report published today that the marine environment has not been enough of a priority for the Labour administration.

It states ministers will have to consider shifting resources to the marine environment if its ambitions are to be met.

The committee said the situation was “particularly worrying as the marine and coastal environment contributes £2.5bn in GDP to the Welsh economy.”

Lord Elis-Thomas, the Plaid Cymru chairman of the committee, said: “The Welsh Government is working towards an ecosystems approach, something we as a committee are very supportive of, but on current evidence the Welsh Government has not taken account of the marine environment in developing key policies to deliver this. We hope that the Welsh Government takes this report as a wake-up call.

“It has been far too slow in implementing the Marine and Coastal Access Act and the management of marine policy has not been good enough, as highlighted by the significant public concern that was evident across Wales during the recent Marine Conservation Zones consultation.”

He added: “When the Welsh Government requests devolved responsibilities it must take these responsibilities seriously. Regrettably, we have found that the Welsh Government has failed to afford these responsibilities sufficient priority.

“The position is not irretrievable, but the Welsh Government must act swiftly if it is to deliver its challenging policy objectives and meet the European obligations it has taken responsibility for.”

AMs said they were told there was an “and marine” mentality – meaning that “marine policy is seen by policy makers as a second or third tier consideration.”

They claim: “For example, two of the most significant Welsh Government consultations on natural environment policy made no reference to the marine environment.”

The absence of marine spatial plans is “creating uncertainty” and the environmental status of areas is often unclear.

A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: “We have received the Environment and Sustainability Committee’s report on marine policy in Wales. We will fully consider its findings and respond formally in due course.”

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The referendum result ushering in lawmaking powers for the National Assembly in March 2011 marked the day “an old nation came of age” – as First Minister Carwyn Jones put it at the time – and marked the first major alteration to the state of governance in Wales in 12 years.

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